It looks like a lot of my Bud 118 rootstocks are growing clumps of fruits high above the main root system. How would you guys handle this? I don’t want to plant with them above ground because I’m worried about burr knots but I don’t want to plant the main root system too deep either. Any suggestions? This picture I took is about average, some are worse some are better.
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You can either plant it lower and keep the bonus roots, or rub them off. Those are basically bur knots that got to growing. If it were me, I’d probably keep those roots if there’s still plenty of room to graft without the union being right above soil level.
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Would you be worried about low levels of oxygen in the soil? The main root system will be used to being higher up.
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If that’s a brand new rootstock from stool bedding, it has a lot more in common with a cutting that you’re trying to root than a mature tree. An older tree would struggle with that treatment, this little rootstock will get a bigger root system.
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We just typically plant the root ball. The higher roots just dry up and in a growing season you will never know they were there. Planting them deeper as was suggested will work as well.
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